Earl Thomas: 'I don't regret' giving middle finger to Pete Carroll
Earl Thomas - who ended his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks on a sour note - expressed no regret Wednesday regarding one of his most infamous incidents with the team.
After suffering a lower leg fracture against the Arizona Cardinals last September, the current Baltimore Ravens safety stuck his middle finger up at the Seahawks' sideline - specifically to head coach Pete Carroll - while being carted off the field.
"I don't regret my decision," Thomas told ESPN's Josina Anderson, according to Jamison Hensley. "If my teammates felt like it was toward them, I regret that part. But I don't regret doing that to Pete.
"I gave Pete the middle finger because I felt like he wasn't being honest with me."
The six-time Pro Bowler held out through the entire 2018 preseason in hopes of receiving a contract extension with Seattle. He repeatedly expressed his displeasure with not receiving a lucrative deal after rejoining the club.
"I think my time just ran out (with the Seahawks)," Thomas said. "Pete and the front office didn't value me like they used to and I just talked to coach Carroll and he was saying how he was trying to get me in the plans of getting a new contract. But I got hurt the next week. I think I hurt myself too by my actions getting carted off the field."
Thomas' teammates supported him following the incident, while Carroll was sympathetic and wanted the media to "give him a little slack" following a traumatic injury.
The 30-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Ravens in March. He'll return to Seattle when Baltimore travels to CenturyLink Field on Oct. 20.